The Most Intriguing NHL Homecomings in the 2015-16 Season

We've had a busy spring and summer in the National Hockey League, with plenty of players, coaches and management figures moving on from long-time homes to new situations.

When a player establishes a bond with a team's fanbase in one locale, that pre-existing relationship can make for an interesting homecoming the first time a player returns to his old haunt with a new club.

Here's a look at the most intriguing first-time visits to watch for on the 2015-16 NHL calendar this season. The events are listed in chronological order.

Mike Babcock Returns to Detroit

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Date: Friday, October 9

What's So Intriguing? For the first time in NHL history, the biggest free-agent signing of the offseason wasn't a player. It was coach Mike Babcock, who accepted an eight-year, $50 million contract to become head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs in late May, per TSN.

Babcock spent the first two years of his NHL head-coaching career behind the bench of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, but he has been defined by his 10 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, where he won the Stanley Cup in 2008.

Emotions will run high for Babcock's first regular-season game back at Joe Louis Arena behind the opposition bench. The Leafs will also visit the Red Wings in preseason on Friday, October 2.

Also Worth Noting: Though not as dramatic as Babcock's return to Detroit, expect plenty of media attention when Stanley Cup-winning coach Dan Bylsma returns to Pittsburgh as the bench boss of the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, October 29.

Todd McLellan will need to wait until Thursday, January 14 before he steps into his longtime home at the Shark Tank for the first time as the new coach of the Edmonton Oilers.

Phil Kessel Returns to Toronto

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Date: Saturday, October 31

What's So Intriguing? Halloween could be a scary night in Toronto when one of their team's top goal-scorers over the past six seasons returns to the Air Canada Centre for the first time as a member of the high-powered Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Leafs cut ties with Phil Kessel this summer in an effort to shed salary and make room for young talent on their roster. The Penguins are hoping he'll be the right-side sniper they've been looking for to complement Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

If Kessel clicks with his new club, his return could cause plenty of howls of despair among the faithful at the ACC.

Also Worth Noting: There should also be a degree of intrigue at the ACC on January 13, when David Clarkson comes back for the first time as a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets. After two frustrating years in Toronto, Clarkson was traded to the Blue Jackets last spring in exchange for the contract of the perenially injured Nathan Horton.

Kevin Bieksa Returns to Vancouver

Paul Vernon/Associated Press

Date: Friday, January 1

What's So Intriguing? Drafted and developed by the Vancouver Canucks organization, Kevin Bieksa grew from a college kid chosen in the fifth round of the 2001 draft into a 10-year staple on the blue line.

Bieksa has been an important leader for the Canucks over the years and was a key part of the 2011 run to the Stanley Cup Final, but at age 34, management chose to move him out this summer to make room for younger players coming up through the team's system.

Bieksa should get a warm reception from fans when he returns to Vancouver for the first time. The same will likely not be true for his teammate Ryan Kesler, who was roundly booed during his first two appearances in Vancouver as an Anaheim Duck last season.

Also Worth Noting: Wednesday, January 6, when Eddie Lack returns to Vancouver for his first game as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Lack's only projected to back up Cam Ward in Carolina this year, but he became a fan favorite during his two seasons in Vancouver thanks to his quirky personality and ability to perform under complex circumstances—first behind Roberto Luongo in 2013-14, then as an injury replacement for Ryan Miller during the second half of last season.

Canucks fans will be revving up the "Eddie! Eddie!" chants if Lack gets the start when the Hurricanes make their lone visit to Rogers Arena.

Evander Kane Returns to Winnipeg

Tom Mihalek/Associated Press

Date: Sunday, January 10

What's So Intriguing? Nearly a full year will have passed since Evander Kane was traded to the Buffalo Sabres before he returns to the MTS Centre for his first game back in front of the Winnipeg Jets fanbase.

Kane spent three-and-a-half seasons in Winnipeg, tantalizing fans with 30 goals in his first year. But controversy also swirled around the cocky power forward. The Jets decided to trade Kane to Buffalo after a confrontation with teammates in Kane's hometown of Vancouver last February, quickly followed by season-ending shoulder surgery, per Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail.

By the time the calendar flips to 2016, Jets fans should have a good idea whether Kane has turned out to be a hero or a zero in Buffalo. Expect them to greet him accordingly on his return to the frozen prairie.

Ryan O'Reilly Returns to Colorado

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Date: Wednesday, January 20

What's So Intriguing? Ten days after Evander Kane's homecoming in Winnipeg, the Sabres will travel to the Rocky Mountains for their new star center Ryan O'Reilly's first game against the team that drafted him, the Colorado Avalanche.

Like Kane, O'Reilly is a talented 24-year-old who's expected to be a linchpin of the Sabres going forward. Also like Kane, he has a turbulent history with the team that traded him. In O'Reilly's case, money always seemed to be an issue.

O'Reilly's also now facing some legal trouble. After being acquired by Buffalo and signing a new seven-year contract extension with a cap hit of $7.5 million a season that starts in 2016-17, per General Fanager, the Ontario native is facing an impaired driving charge after allegedly crashing his truck into a coffee shop in mid-July, according to the Canadian Press (via CBC).

O'Reilly's due in court on August 20—an appearance that should shed light on whether his debut season with the Sabres and his return to Colorado might be affected by the off-ice incident.

Also Worth Noting: Though Sabres fans have plenty of new talent to enjoy on their roster next season, a breakout season from ex-Sabres Mikhail Grigorenko and Nikita Zadorov with Colorado could set hearts racing when they return to the First Niagara Center with their new team next Valentine's Day.

Patrick Sharp and Johnny Oduya Return to Chicago

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Date: Thursday, February 11

What's So Intriguing? The Chicago Blackhawks have been here before, dismantling their roster because of salary-cap concerns after a Stanley Cup win.

During the summer of 2010, the Hawks were forced to say goodbye to Cup winners Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Troy Brouwer, Brian Campbell and Antti Niemi after the team's first championship since 1961. The pattern repeated itself with Dave Bolland, Michael Frolik and eventually Nick Leddy after the 2013 Cup win.

This summer, steady defenseman Johnny Oduya left for Dallas as a free agent after four playoff runs and two Stanley Cups. Winger Patrick Sharp was traded to the Stars after nine years and three championships in the Windy City—one of the veterans around whom today's Blackhawks have been built.

Having left through no fault of their own, expect to see Chicago fans greet Sharp and Oduya with love and respect when they return to the United Center for the first time with their new team.

If Sharp and Oduya are in the lineup, fans may get a preview of the experience during preseason. The Stars are set to visit the Blackhawks on October 3.

Also Worth Noting: Saturday, October 17, when Brandon Saad returns to the United Center for his first game as a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets after a summer trade.

Saad was a star on the rise for Chicago, but his status as a restricted free agent made it impossible for the Blackhawks to offer him a contract like the six-year, $36 million deal he received in Columbus, according to General Fanager.

Dougie Hamilton Returns to Boston

Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images

Date: Tuesday, March 1

What's So Intriguing? A restricted free agent with a promising future, 22-year-old defenseman Dougie Hamilton was due a new contract this summer that the Boston Bruins didn't think they could deliver within their team's salary-cap constraints.

Breaking with the conventional wisdom that states teams must hold onto their top young talent at virtually any cost, the Bruins decided to cut the cord with the ninth-overall pick from 2011, sending him to the Calgary Flames in exchange for a first-rounder and two second-round draft picks.

Hamilton will get a chance to work through the emotions of facing his old teammates for the first time when the Flames host the Bruins on December 4. If we go by the endless jeering Phil Kessel received after he was traded from Boston to Toronto in 2009, Hamilton's return to TD Garden in March will likely prove to be an even more intense experience.

Lou Lamoriello Returns to New Jersey

Adam Hunger/Associated Press

Date: Saturday, April 9

What's So Intriguing? For the past 28 years, Lou Lamoriello was the face of the New Jersey Devils, running a tight ship on a tight budget and guiding his team to three Stanley Cups—in 1995, 2000 and 2003.

Lamoriello's first season as general manager and president of hockey operations for the Devils was in 1987-88, when he used his second overall draft pick on a scrappy winger from hardscrabble Mimico, Ontario named Brendan Shanahan.

Within five years of taking over, Lamoriello also drafted blue-chip first-rounders Bill Guerin, Martin Brodeur and Scott Niedermayer, setting the stage for championship success.

Turning 73 this fall, Lamoriello was expected to eventually retire in New Jersey. But with his old coach Jacques Lemaire now in tow as a special-assignment coach for the Maple Leafs, two of the Devils' most important minds will try to help impart a winning atmosphere in Toronto.

Devils fans are bound to respond with passion if Lamoriello joins his new team for its first visit to the Prudential Center since his move to Toronto.

Also Worth Noting: General manager Peter Chiarelli should cause a fuss in Boston if he makes the trip with his new team, the Edmonton Oilers, on December 14 after the Bruins fired him at the end of last season.